Do you ever find things in your marriage to be a little complicated?
In the past, in my almost 22 years (in just a few weeks!) of marriage, some issue that was small and trite grew to a large, frustrating problem. Almost overnight.
Why? As, I look back on a couple of situations like the one I described above, the “why” would have to be because of selfishness. Ouch.
Self-centered wants and demands to satisfy my desires is what caused the little issue in my marriage to explode.
Peter calls them “fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)
In the midst of my complicated mess, I had to come to a place where I could lay aside my fleshly lusts (self-pleasing ways). I had to remember that I was a believer who had indeed “tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:3); and because of the Lord’s goodness I needed to grow up by desiring the pure milk of His Word.
I needed to reject the junk food of self-gratification and feast on the pure milk of the Word.
When I began to feed on the Word, the complicated mess began to untangle. Of course, there was fallout as the tangled mess brought a little bit of pain. (You know how when you comb your daughter’s hair out after a windy day or time in the pool — the tug of the comb hurts a bit!) However, the releasing of selfish desires gave the Holy Spirit freedom to to move and bring wholeness and resolution to the issue.
Wives, we have the option to bring glory to God in our marriages (and all other relationships) when we choose to abstain from fleshly lusts. Verse 12 reminds,
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
Then Peter sums up his teaching in a straight forward, easy to understand, clear to all manner in verse 17:
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV)
Honor all people. [respect your husband]
Love the brotherhood. [love your husband]
Fear God. [above all and everyone – including your own fleshly lusts]
Honor the king [submit to every authority for the Lord’s sake]
That sums it up for me.
Keep it simple. Before the tiny issue becomes large and complicated.
Interestingly enough, do you see how the Lord is bringing us to the topic of submission [again] in chapter 3? I love it. God’s Word is so rich for us as Imperfect Wives!
Is your appetite for His pure milk [His Word] being built up?
Remember how Peter sums it up and put it into practice and see if your appetite is whetted for the pure milk.
Practicing with you so my marriage is for HIS glory,
♥Kim
image via pinterest
